Developing a Clinical Governance Framework for Healthcare Providers

About

Course summary
This course addresses one of the most important issues facing healthcare professionals, managers and policymakers today: how can we ensure that we provide the safest and highest quality health care services within the constraints of the current system?

Through this course, you will be able to develop your understanding of clinical governance and the various components of clinical governance including a range of quality improvement and risk management theories and strategies.  We will begin by examining the definitions of governance and clinical governance. We will then analyse the causes and consequences of breakdowns in quality and safety and why these breakdowns are proving so difficult to remedy, despite the concerted efforts of healthcare professionals, managers, policymakers and patients. We will then consider, in detail the various components of an effective clinical governance framework. Finally, we will critically examine the tools and methods associated with these approaches.

This is a course which has real-world implications, and as such is intended to balance both the theory and the practice of clinical governance and quality improvement but with a major focus on the practical aspects of a clinical governance framework for your organisation.

Key Learning Objectives
• Understand key concepts of clinical governance and how they apply to your organisation
• Know the legal impacts of clinical governance
• Develop effective quality improvement programmes
• Understand the many methods for reviewing clinical practice
• Apply risk management approaches to the health sector

By the end of this course, you should be able to:
• outline what a clinical governance approach is, and discuss its use as a health reform policy;
• understand the key components of a clinical governance framework and how to implement this in your health or disability organisation
• describe and discuss the challenges confronting the implementation of clinical governance as a change initiative
• critique the approaches and strategies by which clinical governance has been implemented so far
• discuss clinician engagement in organisational and clinical governance team level structures and processes
• describe and evaluate clinical practice improvement methods
• outline the differences between an individual and systems approach to the identification and management of errors
• appraise the evidence for the accreditation of health services, the setting of standards and the process of credentialing
• describe the terminology, definitions and models associated with medical errors and adverse events
• review local, national and international quality and safety policies, and their implications for practice, including policies relating to open disclosure, accountability, and risk management;

Who Should Attend
• Clinicians
• Quality Leaders
• Clinical Leaders/Clinical Directors
• Directors of Nursing
• Hospital and other health and disability service managers
• Department and Practise Managers
• Senior Management at Health Care facilities

Training methodology
This two day master class will utilise adult learning methods, small group work and case studies with interactive learning exercises. All attendees will be provided with a workbook and a certificate of completion.

Outline

Course outline and introduction of delegates

Introduction to Clinical Governance
• What is governance
• What is clinical governance
• Review of the evidence
• The role of government, the board, management and clinicians
• A case study: "Turning clinical governance into sustainable reality”
• Clinical governance frameworks
• The six dimensions of quality

A clinician’s toolkit for improving patient care and managing clinical risk
• Clinical audit
• Retrospective medical record review
• Mortality and morbidity reviews
• Peer review
• Peer supervision
• Incident management
• The effective use of clinical indicators
• Clinical pathways
• Qualified privilege or statutory immunity (PQAAs)

An introduction to the human factors of health care
• Theory of cognition and error
• Systems vs. individuals
• Approaches to error management
• Engineering barriers into systems to prevent errors

Clinical practice improvement method
• Applying industrial improvement methods to health care
• A tutorial in the method
• Some practical experience of the various components of the method
• Developing an aim for improvement when you get back to work

The (new national NZ) policy for the management of healthcare incidents
• Principles of incident management
• Where does this fit into a clinical governance framework?
• The national priority strategy and policy for applicability for all health and disability services
• The use of the Severity Assessment Code
• Methods for managing healthcare incidents
• Open disclosure of adverse events

Key policy components of an effective clinical governance framework
• Credentialing
• The management of a complaint or concern about a clinician – a practical method
• Accreditation as  a governance framework
  - The benefits of accreditation to a health and disability service
  - Understanding standards
  - The role of certification in clinical governance
  - Choosing an accreditation programme
• Risk management – the Australian and NZ standard

But how do I?
• Develop an organisational performance framework
• Develop a clinical level review and performance structure and processes

Understanding the legislation and legislated processes
• Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (HPCAA)
• Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)
• MedSafe recommendations
• Health and Disability Commissioner recommendations
• Coroner’s inquiries

Case Study: Improving clinical governance in a New Zealand health organisation
This session will look at how a real life New Zealand health organisation has improved its governance, focusing on the following areas:
• A review of clinical governance arrangements
• Incident management
• Developing clinical level infrastructure and processes
• Provider education and development
• Clinical Audit

Implementing Clinical Governance
• Top Down vs Bottom up approaches
• The role of clinical governance committees
  - Membership
• Developing a performance frameworks
•  Engaging clinicians

Seminar Wrap, group discussion, Q&A and course evaluation

Facilitator

Maureen Robinson, Director, Communio

Maureen has an impressive track record of leading and creating reform in healthcare quality, including leading the review and redevelopment of the national Australian healthcare standards as Executive Manager for the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards. Among many other reports and policies, Maureen developed Australia’s first state based health quality and clinical governance framework, “The Framework for Managing the Quality of Health Services in NSW’ and wrote the “Clinician’s Toolkit for Improving Patient Care”. Maureen also designed and oversaw the implementation of the NSW Safety Improvement Program and the NSW Incident Information Management System.

Maureen has worked in the New Zealand health and disability sector since May 2006; among other work, establishing the priorities for quality in the sector and reviewing the clinical and corporate governance arrangements in District Health Boards. At present Maureen is directing the national priority project to introduce a national approach to the management of healthcare incidents in the NZ health and disability sector.

Maureen has clinical experience in both the Australian and United States health systems and an extensive background using quality improvement to enhance service delivery and patient care. She was a member of the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care, a founding member and Chair of the State Quality Officials Forum and a member of the Australian National Health Priorities Action Council.

In-house Training

Prices and Registration

* Early bird price available when you register and pay before the dates listed.